Comparison guide
AI image tools: prices, credits and free plans compared
Quick answers
- Cheapest monthly entry: Midjourney Basic at US$10 per month.
- Only standing free plan: Canva (US$0 for one person). OpenArt gives new accounts starter credits; Photoroom offers a free trial.
- Credits drive the real cost on getimg.ai, OpenArt and Photoroom - the size of the monthly bundle matters more than the sticker price.
- Topaz Photo is the odd one out: a desktop photo enhancer billed annually (US$199 per year), not an image generator.
How we compare
Every figure below was read from the official vendor pages linked under Sources; each row shows the date it was last checked. Rows are ordered by monthly-billed entry price, lowest first. This is a price and plan comparison, not a ranking or a recommendation.
| What we compare | What it means |
|---|---|
| Entry price | The cheapest paid plan, monthly-billed in US$ as displayed on the official page. Annual-billed equivalents are labelled, never substituted. |
| Billing unit | Whether the price is per person, per seat or flat, so team costs are not a surprise. |
| Free plan | A standing US$0 plan, a one-time allowance, a time-limited trial, or none. |
| Usage meter | Whether usage is flat, or metered in credits, hours or requests, and whether unused amounts roll over. |
| Checked date | The day the figure was last read on the official page. Prices change; the date is the freshness signal. |
Side by side
| Tool | Entry price | Annual-billed | Billing unit | Free plan | Usage meter | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midjourney Text-to-image with a distinctive artistic style | US$10/mo (Basic) | US$8/mo | Flat | None | Flat tiers US$10-120/mo; no credit meter | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Photoroom AI product photography and background removal | US$12.99/mo (Pro) | US$7.50/mo | Flat | Trial only | 8,000 credits + 1,000 exports per month on Pro | 27 Oct 2026 |
| OpenArt Image and video creation with character consistency | US$14/mo (Starter) | US$13/mo, full year charged | Per seat | Starter credits | 4,000 credits/mo; up to 106,000 on Wonder (US$240/mo) | 27 Oct 2026 |
| getimg.ai Image, video and audio generation platform | US$15/mo (Entry) | US$15/mo (US$180/yr) | Flat | None | 8,000 credits/mo; up to 107,500 on Ultra; no rollover | 27 Oct 2026 |
| Canva Design suite with integrated AI image and copy tools | US$18/mo (Pro) | US$144/yr | Per person | Standing free plan | AI inside the design suite; separate AI Pass add-on | 30 Oct 2026 |
| Topaz Photo Desktop AI photo enhancement for Mac and PC | No consistent monthly figure | US$199/yr (Pro US$599/yr) | Flat | None | Desktop app licence, billed annually | 27 Oct 2026 |
Credits are the real currency on three of them
- getimg.ai meters in monthly credits: 8,000 at Entry (US$15) up to 107,500 at Ultra (US$199 per month). Plan credits do not roll over, prices exclude tax, and API credits are separate.
- OpenArt meters in monthly credits per seat: 4,000 at Starter (US$14) up to 106,000 at Wonder (US$240 per month). Base monthly credits do not roll over; paid add-on credits can (a US$15 add-on supplies 5,000 credits).
- Photoroom bundles credits with exports: 8,000 AI credits and 1,000 exports on Pro, up to 75,000 credits and 10,000 exports on Ultra.
- Midjourney is the exception: flat subscription tiers from US$10 to US$120 per month with no credit meter.
Free means different things
- Canva: a standing free plan for one person.
- OpenArt: new accounts receive starter credits - a starting allowance, not a standing free plan.
- Photoroom: the pricing page leads with "Start free trial" - a trial, not a free plan.
- Midjourney, getimg.ai and Topaz Photo: no free plan.
Billing details worth knowing
- Midjourney bills 20% less when paid annually, and its terms require companies with over US$1M gross yearly revenue to use Pro or Mega. Sign-up uses a Google or Discord account.
- OpenArt's annual figures are per seat per month with the full year charged upfront, not a cancellable monthly bill.
- Topaz Photo's page shows inconsistent monthly figures across views, so the confirmed prices are annual: Photo US$199 per year, Photo Pro US$599 per year. It is a desktop app that needs monthly internet activation.
- Canva sells a separate AI Pass add-on; its price was not shown on the pages we checked.
Common questions
What is the cheapest AI image tool?
Midjourney Basic at US$10 per month (checked 27 October 2026). OpenArt Starter (US$14 per seat) and getimg.ai Entry (US$15) are next.
Which AI image tools have a free plan?
Canva has a standing free plan for one person. OpenArt gives new accounts starter credits, and Photoroom offers a free trial. Midjourney, getimg.ai and Topaz Photo have no free plan.
Do image-tool credits roll over?
getimg.ai plan credits do not roll over. OpenArt base monthly credits do not roll over, but paid add-on credits can. Photoroom bundles a fixed credit and export allowance each month.
Is Midjourney free?
No. Plans run from US$10 to US$120 per month, with a 20% discount when billed annually. Sign-up uses a Google or Discord account.
Which AI image tool suits product photos?
Photoroom is built for product photography: background removal, listing visuals and batch edits, from US$12.99 per month.
Which AI image tool suits a distinctive art style?
Midjourney positions itself on high-aesthetic, artistic output, from US$10 per month.
Sources
Tools in this guide
Listing a tool is not a recommendation. Browse the full image generation category or compare tools side by side.